Culvert cleaning tool

ABSTRACT

A culvert cleaning tool comprises an elongated rod-like handle. A shovel-type plate is hingedly affixed to the handle and movable from a plane substantially parallel and adjacent to the handle to a plane substantially perpendicular to the handle. A support member affixed to the handle has a part extending substantially perpendicularly from the handle and next-adjacent the plate when the plate is in its position substantially perpendicular to the handle for preventing the plate from moving beyond its perpendicular position.

United States Patent M Nov. 4, 1975 [54] CULVERT CLEANING TOOL 1,714,630 5/1929 Ross 15/104.3 R x 2,261,687 11/1941 Lowry 15/104.3 R X [75] Invent Charles Maze Angel'ca 2,328,060 8/1943 Crane et al. 15 104.3 R [73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization,

Inc., New York, NY. a part Primary Examiner-Edward L. Roberts interest Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Danie1 Jay Tick' [22] Filed: June 10, 1974 21 Appl. No.2 477,641 [57] ABSIRACT A culvert cleaning tool comprises an elongated rodlike handle. A shovel-type plate is hingedly affixed to [2%] (51. 1B5/10B4.3l; the handle and movable from a plane substantially F. If ill, 6 4 6 s loil5Il-ilin4na-6 U a 1 le 0 l 0 tially perpendicular to the handle. A support member 37/103 affixed to the handle has a part extending substantially perpendicularly from the handle and next-adjacent the [56] References Clted plate when the plate is in its position substantially per- UNITED STATES PATENTS pendicular to the handle for preventing the plate from 1,081,488 12 1913 Culver 15/104.3 R moving beyond its perpendicular position.

1,376,995 5/1921 Balsley l5/104.3 R 1,629,900 5 1927 Youngman 15/104.16 1 Clam, 5 Drawmg Figures .L 1 v /2 I, (I i "I r.

2 for-i F; 7 9 's 1 II 3,," ,.O /)&\ V

U.S. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 FIG. 3

CULVERT CLEANING TOOL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a culvert cleaning tool.

Objects of the invention are to provide a culvert cleaning tool of simple structure, which is inexpensive in manufacture, simple, easy, rapid and convenient in use, and efficient, effective and reliable in cleaning culverts of any length.

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the culvert cleaning tool of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view, partly in section, taken along the lines IIII, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view, on an enlarged scale, of part of the culvert cleaning tool of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a front view, on an enlarged scale, of another embodiment of a shovel-type plate which may be utilized with the culvert cleaning tool of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a front view of the shovel-type plate of FIG. 4 in use in cleaning a culvert.

The culvert cleaning tool of the invention comprises an elongated rod-like handle 1 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3).

A shovel-type plate 2 (FIGS. 1 and 2) or 2' (FIGS. 4 and 5) is hingedly affixed to the handle 1 and movable from a plane substantially parallel and adjacent to the handle, as shown by the broken lines in FIG. I, to a plane substantially perpendicular to the handle, as shown by the solid lines in FIG. 1.

A support member 3 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) is affixed to the handle 1. The support member 3 has a part 4 extending substantially perpendicularly from the handle and next-adjacent the plate 2 when the plate is in its position substantially perpendicular to the handle for preventing the plate from moving beyond its perpendicular position. The support member comprises a strap iron twisted to have a pair of spaced substantially linear end parts 5 and 6 (FIG. 1) affixed to the handle 1. The part 4 is a first intermediate part extending perpendicularly from the end part 5. A second intermediate part 7 (FIGS. 1 and 2) extends from the other end part 6 to the outermost end of the first intermediate part 4 and inclines between such parts.

In use, in cleaning a culvert 8, for example, (FIGS. 1

and 5), the shovel-type plate 2 is moved by the debris 9 back toward the first intermediate part 4 of the support member 3 which then maintains it in its perpendicular position so that it functions as a shovel in clearing the debris out of the culverts.

A pair of collars 10 and 11 are slidably positioned on the handle 1 (FIG. 1). The collars 10 and 11 are secured in desired positions on the handle 1 by bolts 12 and 13, respectively. The collars 10 and 11 are positioned just outside a culvert and secured by their studbolts to indicate if the plate 2 is right side up or not. The collars 10 and 11 also function as a guide in indicating how much of a bite the plate 2 is taking in the debris 9, since in some types of debris the plate 2 may take a larger bite than can be hauled out.

While the invention has been described by means of a specific example and in a specific embodiment, I do not wish to be limited thereto, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A culvert cleaning tool, comprising an elongated rod-like handle;

a shovel-type plate hingedly affixed to the handle and movable from a plane substantially parallel and adjacent to the handle to a plane substantially perpendicular to the handle;

a support member affixed to the handle and having a part extending substantially perpendicularly from the handle and next-adjacent the plate when the plate is in its position substantially perpendicular to the handle for preventing the plate from moving beyond its perpendicular position, said support member comprising an angle iron twisted to have a pair of spaced substantially linear end parts affixed to the handle, a first intermediate part extending substantially perpendicularly from one of the end parts and a second intermediate part extending from the other of the end parts to the outermost end of the first intermediate part and inclining therebetween; and

a pair of collars slidably positioned on the handle and releasably securable in desired positions via bolts, the bolts being positioned to indicate the position of the plate on the circumference of the handle and the collars being releasably secured at points on the handle indicating how far into a culvert the plate is. 

1. A culvert cleaning tool, comprising an elongated rod-like handle; a shovel-type plate hingedly affixed to the handle and movable from a plane substantially parallel and adjacent to the handle to a plane substantially perpendicular to the handle; a support member affixed to the handle and having a part extending substantially perpendicularly from the handle and next-adjacent the plate when the plate is in its position substantially perpendicular to the handle for preventing the plate from moving beyond its perpendicular position, said support member comprising an angle iron twisted to have a pair of spaced substantially linear end parts affixed to the handle, a first intermediate part extending substantially perpendicularly from one of the end parts and a second intermediate part extending from the other of the end parts to the outermost end of the first intermediate part and inclining therebetween; and a pair of collars slidably positioned on the handle and releasably securable in desired positions via bolts, the bolts being positioned to indicate the position of the plate on the circumference of the handle and the collars being releasably secured at points on the handle indicating how far into a culvert the plate is. 